Functional near-infrared spectroscopy responses to facial stimuli in infants

The ability to interpret emotional expressions is crucial for human social interactions. Recognizing these expressions during interpersonal interactions allows individuals to identify others' emotional states, providing important cues for appropriate responses in various social contexts. From birth, babies are biologically prepared to rapidly develop emotion-related perceptual skills, extracting vital information from faces and voices. The present study investigated brain activity related to emotions in infants aged 4 to 11 months, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and eye tracking. The study focused on identifying neural responses to emotional stimuli (happy and anger) presented in social (human faces) and nonsocial objects (toys). Brain activity in frontotemporal, parietal, and occipital regions was analyzed. The results offer valuable insights into emotional and social development in infants and contribute to improving early assessment and intervention strategies.